Template:Infobox video game

Documentation

{{#invoke:Message box|ombox}} {{#invoke:Message box|ombox}} {{#invoke:Parameter names example|main}} {{#invoke:Side box|main}}

This is an infobox for video games. It is capable of pulling values from Wikidata when fields are omitted. (See WP:VG/WD for a guide to editing Wikidata.) To prevent Wikidata from pulling data for a field, use the parameter in the template but leave its contents blank.

Usage

{{Infobox video game
| collapsible = 
| state = 
| italic title = 
| title = 
| show image = 
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| developer = 
| publisher = 
| distributor = 
| series = 
| engine = 
| platforms = 
| released = {{Video game release|WW=}}
| genre = 
| modes = 
}}

Add the following credit fields for people who worked on the game (please read inclusion notes below):

| director = 
| producer = 
| designer = 
| programmer = 
| artist = 
| writer = 
| composer =

Add these fields for arcade games:

| cabinet = 
| arcade system = 
| cpu = 
| sound = 
| display =

All fields are optional. See talk page for examples and standards.

Full syntax

{{Infobox video game
| collapsible = 
| state = 
| italic title = 
| title = 
| show image = 
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| developer = 
| publisher = 
| distributor = 
| series = 
| engine = 
| platforms = 
| released = {{Video game release|WW=}}
| genre = 
| modes = 
| director = 
| producer = 
| designer = 
| programmer = 
| artist = 
| writer = 
| composer = 
| cabinet = 
| arcade system = 
| cpu = 
| sound = 
| display = 
}}

Syntax guide

Note: In the following, plurals such as "developers", "publishers", "distributors", "artists", etc do not exclude the singular (i.e. "artists", for example, implies "artist or artists").

General fields

collapsible: Set =yes to make the box collapsible.

state: Determines the initial collapsed state of the infobox. Set =collapsed to put the box in collapsed state initially. Set =expanded to put the box in expanded state initially. Set =autocollapse to have the box's initial collapsed state be determined automatically based on the number of other templates in the article that also have the "collapsible" attribute. (Has no effect if collapsible is not used.)

title: The full name of the game including punctuation and style (e.g., "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars" instead of "Super Mario RPG" or "Legend of the Seven Stars"). Do not wikilink the name of the game.

show image: Set =yes to make the image show even when collapsed. (Has no effect if collapsible is not used.)

image: The ideal image is an English-language cover or, in the case of an arcade game, a promotional flier. Secondarily, use a logo or foreign-language cover. When cover designs differ between regions, use the cover from the region associated with the game's first English language release, though do not change another English-language version that has been uploaded first. Use art without platform decals, such as PC cover art, where possible. Avoid screenshots (per consensus), and multiple images (per WP:FUC #3). Also see the WPVG image guideline.

Format the filename without the File: prefix (e.g., Name.jpg). The infobox uses "frameless" and "upright" flags to auto-size the image and accommodate user preferences. Do not manually set the image size with added syntax (e.g., "frameless", "upright", or "px").

alt: Alternative text - A short descriptive text associated with an image that serves the same purpose and conveys the same essential information as the image. Useful in situations where the image is not available to the reader, e.g If they are using a screen reader due to a visual impairment. See WP:ALT for information about how to write good Alternative text.

caption: A short description of the image. Is it a flyer, a game cover, or something else? (See above for what an image should consist of.) This is used as the alternate text that will be displayed below the image. (Does not show if image is not used.)

developer

The popular name or names of the video game developers. This field is for the game development company (e.g., Nintendo) or, if confirmed by primary sources, the name of the team that developed the game (e.g., Nintendo EAD). In the case of a game made entirely by one person, use the designer field instead. The names can be wikilinked. Individual development tasks handled by different companies (e.g., scenario, programming) and ports should not be mentioned in the infobox but in the article text instead.

publisher

The popular name or names of the video game publishers. Add publishers for English-language regions and the developer's region. The names can be wikilinked. Use the {{Video game release}} template for regional publishers. If there are many publishers or if the list grows too long, use the {{Collapsible list}} template, fill the field title= with the primary publisher, and also include the field titlestyle=font-weight:normal;background:transparent;text-align:left;.

distributor

The popular name or names of the physical video game distributors. Only include if the distributor is different from the publisher. Games that have digital-only releases should not have this field filled.

When this field is appropriate, add distributors for English-language regions and the developer's region. The names can be wikilinked. Use the {{Video game release}} template for regional distributors. If there are many distributors or if the list grows too long, use the {{Collapsible list}} template, fill the field title= with the primary distributor, and also include the field titlestyle=font-weight:normal;background:transparent;text-align:left;.

series

The video game series the game is associated with. Only use this field if there is an article for the series. Wikilink and italicize the names (such as ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'').

engine

The game's engine. Only use this field for game engines with an established, independent article and wikilink its name (such as [[id Tech 3]]).^[1] Do not list middleware such as Havok, SpeedTree or Euphoria.

platforms

The unabbreviated console or operating system family for which the game was specifically developed. This includes dedicated ports, but not games in emulation or services. E.g.:

Deus Ex was ported specifically for the PlayStation 2, but was emulated on the PlayStation 3

EarthBound was not ported but emulated on the Wii U Virtual Console

Windows, not Steam

Xbox 360, not Xbox Live Arcade

The original platform, not PlayStation Now or OnLive

released: Add release dates according to the platforms field, for English-language regions and the developer's region. Use only general public release dates, not festival, preview, or early access dates. If possible, use the game's exact release date ("March 23, 2023"). Use the {{Video game release}} template: {{Video game release|NA=March 23, 2023}}. If there are many release dates, enclose them all with the {{Collapsible list}} template^[2] and add the field titlestyle=font-weight:normal;background:transparent;text-align:left; followed by title= set as the earliest release date. Platforms can be abbreviated to fit in one line and should be listed as bolded section titles without colons, separated with commas (e.g. PS2, NGC, Xbox).

genre

The gameplay genre or genres (such as first-person shooter, adventure, etc) the game is categorized in by its developers and publishers, or by reliable sources. This should not include thematic genres (like science fiction, horror, etc.) as video games are more difficult to categorize in such a way. Verifiable thematic genres can be mentioned in the article's body.

modes

Playing modes offered by the game. Currently, the only accepted values are single-player, multiplayer, or both.^[3]

Arcade-game specific

cabinet: The type of cabinet the arcade game uses (e.g., upright, sit-down, cocktail, custom).

display: The characteristics of the arcade hardware's video output, such as graphical technique, display resolution and monitor orientation. Wiki: [[Raster graphics|Raster]], 256 x 224, horizontal orientation

arcade system: The name of or names associated with the arcade game's system board hardware. In case of unique arcade hardware, omit this field and use those below.

cpu: The names and number of central processing units used by the arcade game's hardware, wikilinked if possible.

sound: The names and number of hardware [sound-processing units?] used by the arcade game's hardware, wikilinked if possible.

Credit fields

As with the developer field, individual development tasks for one field (e.g. which artists designed characters and which designed concept art; or which writers created story lines and which wrote scripts) should not be mentioned in the infobox but in the article text instead. Individual tasks should be generally kept to prose and the field should only list key people.^[4]^[5] For example, the distinction between story and script writers of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is mentioned in the article's development section.

director

The popular names of the game directors or creative directors who oversaw the creative development of the game. The names can be wikilinked.

List only the person credited specifically with the title "director" or "co-director";
Do not list other types of directors in this field;
For games directed by a succession of people (e.g. MMOs and games with exceptionally long development cycles), indicate their years of involvement.

producer

The popular names of the game producers in overall charge of the production of the game. The names can be wikilinked.

List only the person credited specifically with the title "Producer";
Do not list the "Executive producer" or other "sub"-producer credits, as they are not generally as intimately involved in a game's development;
If three or more people are credited as "co-producer"s, discuss whether any one played the most significant part and, if decided, list that person;
List the "Creative producer" only if said person's involvement in the game is discussed in the article's development-related section.

designer

The popular names of the game designers, i.e. people who worked on the game's system. The names can be wikilinked. This field is often unfilled in modern high-budget development due to large team sizes and collaboration. Older games and indie games are more likely to use this position.

If a single person is credited as "Lead designer", list that person; synonyms for this position include "Game-design director" and "Lead planner";
If there is no equivalent to #1, omit this field;
If three or more people are credited as "lead designer"s, discuss whether any one played the most significant part and, if decided, list that person.

programmer

The popular names of the game programmers. The names can be wikilinked. This field is often unfilled in modern high-budget development due to large team sizes and collaboration. Older games and indie games are more likely to use this position.

If a single person is credited as "Lead programmer", list that person; synonyms for this position include "Main programmer";
If there is no equivalent to #1, omit this field;
If three or more people are credited as "lead programmer"s, discuss whether any one played the most significant part and, if decided, list that person.

artist

The popular names of the game's artists. The names can be wikilinked.

List the person credited as "Art director" or "Lead artist";
Do not list people with titles such as "Character designer" or "Environment artist" (these should be described in the article's development-related section);
List no more than three people in this field.

writer

The popular names of the game's writers. The names can wikilinked. The writers should be listed in the order of their contribution, with those who wrote the game's scenarios/scripts listed before the game's story writers.

If a single person is credited as "Scenario director" or "Scenario writer", list that person; synonyms for this position include "Lead writer";
If there is a person credited as "Scenario concept writer" or "Original concept", also list that person here;
List no more than three people in this field.

composer

The popular names of the composers who worked on the game's music.

List people who contributed significantly to the soundtrack. Discuss inclusion criteria on a per-game basis on the talk page.

Microformat

The HTML mark-up produced by this template includes an hProduct microformat that makes a product's details readily parsable by computer programs. This aids tasks such as the cataloguing of articles and maintenance of databases. For more information about the use of microformats on Wikipedia, please visit the Microformat WikiProject.

If the product has a URL, use {{URL}} to include it.

Classes used

The HTML classes this microformat uses include:

Please do not rename or remove these classes
nor collapse nested elements which use them.

Template revisions

Style changes

Here's a record of previous styles that were very different from one another:

Gray with alternating colors, but with a gap between cells: [1] (Discussion)
Gray but no alternating colored rows: [2]
Purple with dark borders: [3]

Field changes

Input method: The input method section was removed on August 14, 2010‎ (See Template talk:Infobox video game/Archive 9#.22Input method.22 field).
Ratings: The ratings section was removed on October 2, 2012 (See Template talk:Infobox video game/Archive 11#Propose removal of ratings section.).
Requirements: The requirements section was removed on December 18, 2012 (See Template talk:Infobox video game/Archive 11#Proposed removal of requirements section).
Version: The version section was removed on February 24, 2013 (See Template talk:Infobox video game/Archive 11#Proposal for removal of Version field).
Media The media field was removed on 8 May 2015 (See Template talk:Infobox video game#Media).

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData documentation for this template used by VisualEditor and other tools.

See the monthly error report for this template.

TemplateData for Infobox video game

A template to generate an infobox for a video game.

Template parameters
This template prefers block formatting of parameters.
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
title	`title`	Title of the game. If not specified the 'name' parameter or the PAGENAME are used. It should be plain text, do not include a wikilink, hyperlink or image in this parameter.	Line	optional
collapsible	`collapsible`	Whether this screenshot is hidden by default, set to 'yes' to place the screenshot in a collapsible section	Line	optional
state	`state`	Determines the initial collapsed state of the infobox. Set collapsed to put the box in collapsed state initially. Set expanded to put the box in expanded state initially. Set autocollapse to have the box's initial collapsed state be determined automatically based on the number of other templates in the article that also have the "collapsible" attribute. (Has no effect if collapsible is not used.) Default autocollapse	String	optional
show image	`show image`	Type 'yes' to show the image even when the table is collapsed.. Default yes	String	optional
image	`image`	File name for a screenshot of the image, e.g. 'GIMP screenshot.png'	Page name	optional
caption	`caption`	A short description of the image.	String	optional
developer	`developer`	The popular name(s) of the game developer(s), if confirmed by primary sources.	String	optional
publisher	`publisher`	The popular name(s) of the video game publisher(s), if confirmed by primary sources.	String	optional
distributor	`distributor`	The popular name(s) of the game's distributor(s). Only use this field if it is a different company from the publisher. The name(s) can be wikilinked.	String	optional
series	`series`	The video game series the game is associated with. Only use this field if there is an article for the series. Wikilink and italicize the name(s) (such as Halo).	String	optional
engine	`engine`	The game's engine	String	optional
platforms	`platforms`	The unabbreviated console or operating system family the game was specifically developed or officially announced (if not canceled) for. This includes dedicated ports, but not games in emulation or services. See documentation for examples.	String	optional
released	`released`	Release date. If possible, use the game's exact release date. Example: November 3, 2013.	String	optional
genre	`genre`	The genre of the game, such as first-person shooter, adventure, etc.	String	optional
modes	`modes`	Playing modes offered by the game. Currently, the only accepted values are single-player, multiplayer, or both.	String	optional
cabinet	`cabinet`	no description	String	optional
display	`display`	The characteristics of the arcade hardware's video output, such as graphical technique, display resolution and monitor orientation. Example: [[Raster graphics\|Raster]], 256 x 224, horizontal orientation	String	optional
arcade system	`arcade system`	no description	String	optional
Note	`Note`	no description	String	optional
cpu	`cpu`	no description	String	optional
sound	`sound`	no description	String	optional
director	`director`	The popular names of the game directors or creative directors who oversaw the creative development of the game. The names can be wikilinked.	String	optional
producer	`producer`	The popular names of the game producers in overall charge of the production of the game. The names can be wikilinked.	String	optional
designer	`designer`	The popular names of the game designers, i.e. people who worked on the game's system. The names can be wikilinked. This field is often unfilled in modern high-budget development due to large team sizes and collaboration. Older games and indie games are more likely to use this position.	String	optional
programmer	`programmer`	The popular names of the game programmers. The names can be wikilinked. This field is often unfilled in modern high-budget development due to large team sizes and collaboration. Older games and indie games are more likely to use this position.	String	optional
artist	`artist`	The popular names of the game's artists. The names can be wikilinked.	String	optional
writer	`writer`	The popular names of the game's writers. The names can wikilinked. The writers should be listed in the order of their contribution, with those who wrote the game's scenarios/scripts listed before the game's story writers.	String	optional
composer	`composer`	The popular names of the composers who worked on the game's music.	String	optional

Notes

Note
The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Infobox video game/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (create) and testcases (create) pages.
Please add categories and interwikis to the /doc subpage. (See the subpages of this template.)

[1] November 2010 discussion

[2] August 2010 discussion

[3] August 2010 discussion

[4] August 2010 discussion

[5] February 2013 discussion

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]